Welcome Year 11 Information evening 21 st September 2016
Staff changes Mrs McLarty has taken over from Dr Feeney so 10F have become 11M. cmclarty@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk
Student Manager Mrs Whiteman
Attendance 2015-16 Target: 97% Achieved: 94.7%
Percentage School Days School Weeks Lesson time missed 99.4% 1 5 hours 97.3% 5 1 25 hours 94.7% 10 2 50 hours 92.1% 15 3 75 hours 89.4% 20 4 100 hours 86.8% 25 5 125 hours 84.2% 30 6 150 hours 81.5% 35 7 175 hours 78.9% 40 8 200 hours
Religious Studies The year group have now completed their short course and have half a GCSE. This year they will use that time either for an enrichment option (Photography or Latin) or for supervised study time.
Reporting Parents evening: Thursday 3 rd November Science mock exams: Wednesday 11 th January IGR: Thursday 5 th January (Mentoring) Mock GCSEs week: Feb 20 th IGRs: March 21 st
GCSE dates Monday 15 th May Tuesday 20 th June
Prom Wednesday 21 st June
Passport to Prom After Christmas, we will be running a Passport to Prom scheme. Students will acquire points for doing well in a variety of areas and lose points for not doing what is expected of them ie homework or for poor behaviour. Students meeting the threshold will be invited to purchase their Prom ticket at Easter.
Subject specific information
Maths No exams until the end of the year. Scientific calculator 6.50 available from Maths. Revision guides will be available from the Maths department later in the year.
English York Notes are the best revision guides. Only buy editions published 2015/6 for the new GCSE (9-1) Lord of the Flies https://www.amazon.co.uk/lord-flies-york-notes- GCSE/dp/1447982193/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474446544&s r=8-1&keywords=york+notes+gcse+lord+of+the+flies Macbeth https://www.amazon.co.uk/macbeth-york-notes-gcse-9-1/dp/1447982207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=utf8&qid=1474446589&sr=8-1&keywords=york+notes+gcse+macbeth Jekyll and Hyde https://www.amazon.co.uk/dr-jekyll-mr-hyde- Notes/dp/1447982185/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474446621& sr=8-1&keywords=york+notes+gcse+jekyll+and+hyde
Science Mr Ditchfield is putting together an information pack for Year 11 parents which he will email out via the InTouch messaging system.
French and Spanish YEAR 11 FRENCH & SPANISH (TK) This cohort is the last to take the outgoing Languages specification. Students are studying for the EDEXCEL GCSE award. At the end of Year 11, students will be taking end-of course exams in Listening & Reading only with each exam representing 20% of the GCSE award. The Speaking and Writing components represent 30% each and are assessed on the basis of the submission of 2 pieces of Controlled Written Assessment tasks and 2 pieces of recorded Controlled Speaking Assessment tasks. The following are the dates to note for this year: SPANISH Week beginning 26th September 2016 (Controlled Speaking Assessment) Week beginning 5th December 2016 (Controlled Writing Assessment) Week beginning 13 th March 2017 (Controlled Speaking Assessment) FRENCH Week beginning 10th October 2016 (Controlled Writing Assessment) Week beginning 6 th February 2017 (Controlled Speaking Assessment) Week beginning 20th March 2016 (Controlled Writing Assessment) Mock Listening & Reading exams in both French & Spanish are scheduled to take place in the Year 11 Mocks week. (week beginning Feb 20 th 2017)
Art There are so many dates for Art that we have uploaded the schedule to the website separately. If you have any problems finding it, please contact Mrs Badger on pbadger@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk
GCSE Information Communication Technology Students have recently started working on their Controlled Assessment and it is anticipated this will last until February half term. The Controlled Assessment is worth 60% of the GCSE. The following dates have also been allocated for "all day" Controlled Assessment work- Thursday 3rd November and Thursday 8th December. Revise Edexcel GCSE ICT Revision Guide - 2.50 each (its subsidised). The remainder of the resources, are supplied by the department
Sociology GCSE Sociology Revision Guide An excellent resource that every GCSE Sociology should have. Contains subject content, key features highlighted with valuable examiners comments and tips. There are practice questions and some student answers with comments. GCSE Sociology Revision, Pauline Wilson, 2010, Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-735059-9 Cost 9.99 (but can be found much cheaper on book sites).
Geography This is the GCSE Specification at a glance (see the AQA GCSE Geography A web page for further details): Unit 1 Physical Geography Written Paper 1hour 30 minutes - 75 marks - 37.5% Unit 2 Human Geography Written Paper 1hour 30 minutes - 75 marks - 37.5% Unit 3 Local Fieldwork Investigation Controlled Assessment - 60 marks - 25% Maximum word guidance of 2000. This has already been completed in the Summer term of Y10 EXAMINATION of Unit 1 and 2 takes place in June 2017
Geography There are a number of GCSE revision guides, as long as they order GCSE AQA syllabus A versions. e.g. CGP Complete Revision & Practice 978 1 84762 999 9
Drama The deadline for completion of GCSE Drama Unit 2 written coursework is Friday 23rd September. The students can use lunchtime Homework Club and Mr Newman is offering after school catch-up sessions in IT3 until 5.30 on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22nd September. There is no written exam at the end of the year, so it is very important that students complete the written coursework to the very best of their ability as it is work 30% of the GCSE. The Unit 1 practical controlled assessments take place from periods 1-6 on Wednesday 5th October and Friday 7th October. Students are required to change into suitable clothing for physical practical work such as jogging bottoms or leggings and a distinctive, bright-coloured t-shirt that will easily identify them to the exam board Moderator. The theatre trip to see 'Things I Know To Be True' by Frantic Assembly at the Oxford Playhouse takes place on Wednesday 5th October. Please return consent form to Mr Newman and use Parent Pay to make payments. Please contact the Finance Office for support with Parent Pay, to set up a payment plan, or to request financial support. The students are required to stay at school after 3.00pm to prepare for the trip and wear school uniform. They will also need to bring a packed dinner. We will return at approximately 11.00pm. Letters are available from student services. The theatre trip to see 'Adolphus Tips' by Kneehigh on Wednesday October 12th is open to Year 11 Drama prefects. Letters are available from Student Services.
History Both GCSE groups are currently working preparing for their Controlled Assessments. The write-up for this stage of the CA will take place on 7 th October (Mr Speake s class) and 10 th October (Mr Taylor s class). The students will then do the final phase of the CA over the next few weeks. Final deadlines will be decided nearer the time but the whole process should be finished by early November.
Media Media deadlines for Y11: Fri 23rd September: Media planning and research booklet deadline (draft) Fri 14th October: 4 pages of magazine production work (draft) Fri 14th October: Media planning and research booklet (final) Fri 4th November: 4 pages of magazine production work (final) Fri 4th November: Evaluation of magazine pages (draft) Fri 11th November: Evaluation of magazine pages (final)
DT Y11 deadlines Resistant Materials/Textiles/Graphics Section 2 31st October Section 3 31st January Section 4 February 10th
Homework and Tests All information about homework and forthcoming tests will be on the Show My Homework platform. Your child has their own log-in which will take them directly to their page. If you would like a log-in which will allow you to access your child s page directly, please contact our IT support team on showmyhomework@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk
Next year.
Post-16 options Careers fair Careers advisor Open Days Taster Days Trips to colleges
6th form Year 11 parents evening November 3 rd (6 th form stand) Farmor s 6 th form information evening November 17 th Farmor s 6 th form taster day Thursday 15 th December
College open days North Star college Opening evening Thursday 13 th October 5-7pm https://www.swindon.ac.uk/events/2016/october-2016/open- Evening.aspx New college Open day Saturday 8 th October 10am 2pm http://www.newcollege.ac.uk/events/open-day Cirencester college Open day Saturday 15 October from 10:00 to 3:00 http://www.cirencester.ac.uk/tours/
6th Form application deadline 13 th January Applications can be made to more than one place. Help or advice: Head of Year 12 Sarah Crawford scrawford@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk
Surviving this year.
Your role Provider of the necessary tools stationary, a quiet place to work, access to a computer. Banker paying for the above! Study Buddy showing an interest in homework and revision, helping where appropriate. Advisor and sounding board keep an eye on progress, celebrate achievements and help to find a positive way forward when things go less well. Project manager Agree the rules for homework and revision together and then revise as necessary. Go-between contact us if you think there is an issue that your child can t or won t raise.
Finding the right balance
Keep the lines of communication open.
And finally, a reminder of our contact details: 11C eceiciora@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk 11H aheslop@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk 11M cmclarty@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk 11S ajsmith@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk 11T dtatlow@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk Head of Year tkelly@farmors.gloucs.sch.uk